Giggly times, giggly rhymes No. 2: Picture book poems for children by Richie Cotton
Illustrated by Rhonda Cotton. Billy's Books.
(Age: 5-8) This is a self-publication by Richie and Rhonda Cotton
and is the second in a series of fun rhymes for young children. The
handwritten rhymes and simple, colourful illustrations add to the
homemade charm of these amusing rhymes. While there is nothing
particularly spectacular about the collection Cotton uses simple
rhythms and words to create amusing poetry. They are simple enough
that children would find it an achievable goal to write poetry of a
similar kind themselves. For this reason they may be useful to
use as a model for children learning to write rhymes of their own.
These poems are certainly best for reading aloud and the way the
illustrations correlate directly to the text may assist
comprehension for those learning to follow poems and their structure
as a form of storytelling. The book consists of 21 poems with
different themes, most short and many nonsensical or quirky.
Overall a pleasing collection of poems and illustrations that could
assist teachers working on poetry and rhyme writing with young
children or as a silly and enjoyable read aloud.
Nicole Smith-Forrest